Aberdeen New India: ESG focus weighs on short-term returns

Ethics at heart of decision-making process

A keen focus on governance issues have impacted Aberdeen New India's (ANII) short-term returns, but co-manager Kristy Fong remains confident its portfolio of high-quality companies can weather a tricky period for the Indian market.

Fong, who runs ANII alongside James Thom, told Investment Week ESG issues are a key part of the team's investment process. Franklin Templeton launches 'buy and hold' green income fund "It's our measure of a company that we can put our money with," she said. "If you have a company that has strong integrity and strong ethics, most likely they will run and operate their business in a way that is environmentally friendly or with social issues in mind. For us, it's a matter of minimising or understanding the potential risks of a business in a holistic way." This, Fong explained, has ...